Course Goals

"The most powerful works of SF don't describe the future - they change it." -
Annalee Newitz,
io9. By successfully completing this course, you'll become fluent in SF by becoming familiar with
25 of the most-influential works that shaped the genre and the world we inhabit
today - and tomorrow.

The goal of the course is to provide an understanding of contemporary and future science fiction
through studying the history of the genre and many of the great works that
started important conversations about what it means to be human in a changing
world. After
reading a diversity of
novel-length SF, we discuss how the genre got to be what it is today by
comparing stories and their place in the evolution of SF, from the earliest
prototypical examples through more recent work. Students demonstrate their
understanding of the genre by writing daily reading responses and creating a
substantial final project.

Diversity and Disability

Everyone enjoys equal access to the Gunn Center's offerings, and we actively
encourage students and scholars from diverse backgrounds to study with us.
All courses offered by Gunn Center faculty are also available to be taken
not-for-credit for professionalization purposes by community members (if space
is available).
Click here to see the Center's Diversity Statement.

The Academic Achievement and Access Center (AAAC) coordinates accommodations and services for all
eligible KU students. If you have a disability for which you wish to request accommodation and have not contacted the AAAC, please do so as soon as possible. Their office is located in 22 Strong Hall; their phone number is
(785)864-4064 (V/TTY). Also please contact us privately about your needs in this
course.

Readings

See the reading list, below, for the most-current set of books we'll read and
discuss.

When you lead class discussions, you
are also expected to do additional research about the day's topics and
authors beyond the fiction readings and share
what you learn with the rest of the class, as well.

Graduate students: Each day, find, read, and respond to an additional
SF work that represents the day's topic, time period, author, or literary movement.
Include your response to this work as part of your regular response paper. If you found it online, provide a link
in your response paper. Otherwise, include
bibliographic information. Also share these as recommendations for your
classmates!

Required Books

This list reflects important works that helped shape the genre. Here is what we'll be reading, in alphabetical order by author:

Some of these volumes might be difficult to find, so I urge you
seek copies early and, when books are out of print, search used bookstores
and online services (we've provided links to two major online booksellers after each
title, above). The University of Kansas Jayhawk Ink bookstore often has copies of
many of these books on hand. The Center also holds a few copies of many of these books, so if you are local to
Lawrence or are in town for our other summer programs,
check with me to see if we can lend you a
copy. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis. This
course-specific lending library is primarily supplied by previous students donating copies after completing their
course, so if you want to pass on the love to the next generation rather than
keep your books, let your teacher know!

Want more book recommendations? The Center's "A
Basic Science Fiction Library" is a go-to internet resource for building
reading lists. It's organized by author.

More to come! Check back later....

Recommended Books

For further reading, here are the books that have been removed from the
summer SF Institute's required reading list since 2008 - still important and recommended
works for understanding the history of the SF novel, but we only have so much
time to discuss:

Want more book recommendations? The Center's "A
Basic Science Fiction Library" is a go-to internet resource for building
reading lists. It's organized by author.

More to come! Check back later....

Instructor

Chris McKitterick is a science-fiction author and Director of the
Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction.
He teaches SF, creative writing, and technical communication at KU. He has been a
professional writer for 17 years,
an editor for nearly that long, managed a documentation team for 3 years, and currently freelances for a variety of publishers.
He writes not just SF stories and novels, but also astronomy articles, technical
documents, gaming supplements, scholarly articles, nonfiction, journalism,
fiction, and even poetry. He edits magazines, websites, and more. Feel free to mine
his
experience for tips and advice about writing, editing, and the SF
industry.

If you have questions, need assistance, or just want to chat about SF, visit me in my office (3040 Wescoe, Lawrence campus). You
can phone me or drop me email any time. If I'm not in the office, please leave
a message. It might take a little time to respond to email longer if I'm out
of town or in the middle of a project, so don't wait until the last minute!

Go to this page to meet other people at the Center for the
Study of Science Fiction.

Office Hours

Daily in meeting area after discussions, beforehand at the Union restaurant
(everyone is invited to join and chat!), and in the evenings (we often have
dinner downtown, watch and discuss SF movies in the Hall, and so forth). Other
days and times by appointment.

Daily Schedule

Here are the topics and books we'll discuss each day, with links to
online booksellers like
Amazon
and Powell's;
click these to find the books for sale online. The University of Kansas Jayhawk Ink Bookstore tries to have copies of these books on hand, and most bookstores will likely have most of these books on hand, as well.

Each day, two or three students lead the discussions, bringing enough good
questions to keep a lively discussion going for the entire class period; aim
for at least a dozen questions and discussion prompts. Discussants
also seek relevant information about the authors, how the books
influenced the science fiction that was to follow, and so forth. You must lead the daily
discussion at least twice, but may serve more often. This is a major part of your grade and
an important learning opportunity!

Syllabus version 0.2: last updated March 12, 2015.Note: This will change as the syllabus is updated.

You are strongly encouraged to register for and attend the Campbell Conference,
which begins on Thursday, June 11. There
you can meet many authors and editors, scholars and fans, get books signed, and participate in a
unique scholarly event in the field. Attendees of the Conference get up to 10 bonus
points for attending and writing up a thoughtful response to the event.
Register
now if you'd like to be a part of this year's Conference! Institute
participants may register for the Conference at the early-bird special rate -
note that you are an Institute student in your registration form.

Include in your reading response paper for today not
only your book responses, but also your thoughts about
the readings linked above - and your definition of science fiction. Always turn these
in to the appropriate Blackboard Assignment slot before class starts,
preferably before the course begins.

July 10: Final due

Late projects: To receive (reduced) credit, hand off your missing response papers and other
prior work before 5:00pm
by Friday, July 11. If you didn't manage to finish
something when it was due, turn it in after you
turn in your more important final project.

Course Requirements

To successfully complete the course and get out of it all you can, you are required to:

Attend class each day.

Participate in class, which means being involved in every discussion,
each day.

Lead at least one session with
a partner or partners.

Read the required books and other materials.

Write insightful daily
response papers.

Create a longer final project due at the end of the semester.

Class Periods

Each day we discuss a variety of stories, their authors, the science fiction
genre, and the historical context in which they appeared. Occasionally, we might
have guest speakers. Class periods revolve largely around discussion, with some
lecture.

Discussants

After an introduction to the topic by your instructor, two or more students
act as discussants for each day and lead (not
monopolize) the discussion. Everyone is required to act as discussant at least
twice during the semester. If you have special needs and cannot perform
this task, let me know early.

Optimally, discussants perform additional research
prior to class (further readings on the genre movements at hand and the day's
authors, identifying possible multimedia content, and
so forth). Come prepared with at least 12 questions and discussion prompts to
stimulate discussion among your peers about the day's topic and readings. I
expect all students to participate in discussions, but I also request that you
avoid talking too much or talking over others. Be civil: These are discussions
about ideas, not arguments or lectures!

Your instructor will likely open each day with some background on science
fiction, especially the topics and genre movements relevant to the day's
discussions, and some information about the authors. After that, the day's
student discussants take over. You can split up the tasks among your fellow discussants based
on stories, topics, or however you see fit. I simply expect everyone to serve
equally.

Graduate students and teachers: Demonstrate solid pedagogical
theory! Act as if you're teaching this course for a day. I expect you to
participate every day, providing insightful comments and questions while
encouraging those less inclined to participate - but not to dominate the
discussions.

Attendance and Class Participation

This is a discussion course, so class participation is weighed heavily!
Coming to class and getting involved in the discussions each day are necessary for
getting a good grade, not to mention how much value you get
from the course. The discussions aren't just explication of plot or concept,
though we will discuss those; I
expect you to exercise your critical-reading skills. That is, don't just read
the fiction for pleasure, don't just accept the related scholarship or
introductions as
canon, and don't feel the need to agree with your classmates' ideas - no one
scholar can tell you the One True History of Science Fiction. If you apply
yourself, by the end
of this
course you will possess solid expertise of your own in the topic. In the discussions,
I want to witness your growing understanding of the genre based on the required
readings, your outside readings, and your own experience with SF over the years.
Of course, be polite and diplomatic if you disagree, but don't be shy either.

If you know you are going to miss a session for an academic
event, illness, or other excusable reason, contact me as soon as possible to
see if we can work out something so it does not negatively affect your overall grade
too much. If
appropriate, I can mitigate this loss so your attendance percentage remains unaffected. Otherwise,
here is how I score attendance and participation:

Because we only meet twelve times, each unexcused absence after the first drops your
final course grade by a third; that is, missing two days means your final grade
drops from (say) an A- to a B+, missing three drops it to a B, and so forth. Missing
zero classes usually serves to bump most students up a fraction of a grade (for
example, from a B to a B+ when points are close), so don't miss classes! The
next
table illustrates this relationship.

Graduate students and teachers: I expect you to participate every day, providing
insightful comments and questions while encouraging those less inclined to
participate - but not to dominate the discussions.

Attendance and Class Participation Scoring

For those taking the course for credit, here is how I grade attendance and
participation:

Classes Missed

Grade Result (assuming perfect score)

0

A (bonus effect if
you actively participate in all discussions)

1

A / A- (minor effect if you actively participate in all other discussions)

2

B+

3

B(down one full grade)

4

B-

5

C+

And so forth

1/3 grade per missed class

During discussions, do not expose yourself or others to distractions such as checking email, Facebook, and
so forth. Obviously, turn off your phone ringer/buzzer and put it away. I know it's
sometimes a challenge to focus during extended discussion, but recent studies
show that the human mind cannot pay attention to more than one thing at a time,
and fracturing your attention means you're not getting everything possible out
of each discussion. Even worse, monkeying around online also interrupts your neighbors'
attention.

Feel free to take notes on your computer or portable device - or pull up your
discussion and response notes - if you
choose, just stay away from distractions. It's difficult to remain
engaged in discussions if your mind is elsewhere, and doing so also bumps down your overall
grade. On the other hand, actively participating in class discussions bumps up
your overall grade.

I'm sure you have heard this before, but it is as true as ever: You get out of any
activity only what you put into it. The more effort and creativity you apply to
your projects and to class discussions, the more you will learn and the better
the class will be for everyone else, as well. If you do not regularly attend
class or do not participate in discussions, you will miss out on a lot of
opportunities to learn and grow as a person.

Papers

In addition to good participation, much of your grade depends on the short response papers you write on a
daily basis and the final project.
If you use non-standard software to create your projects, be sure to save
them in standard formats (for example, most computers can read .doc, .html,
.rtf, and .pdf formats). Turn in
papers via Blackboardbefore class begins on the
due date or by end of day on days if we don't meet for class.
They will be graded and returned via Blackboard in a reasonable time
if turned in before we begin, or possibly after we finish meeting if you turn
them in daily once we begin.

Daily Response Papers

Prior to each class, write a short reading-response paper and
turn it in via
Blackboard. Please
attach the document as a .doc file to
make it simpler for me to read everyone's papers each day.

This short (300-500 words for undergrads, 400-1000 words
for graduate students) paper is a brief but thoughtful response
to all of the readings for that day. (If you go a little long, that's
better than too short, but be kind to your teacher!) Provide your thoughts on the
day's
assigned works in terms of theme, ideas, character, story, setting, position in
the SF canon, influence on other works, and so forth. Don't just write a plot
summary, but instead provide insightful, critical, and thoughtful reflections on
the works and their supplementary material. Along
with participation in each day's discussion, these papers are scored as an important
measure of your engagement with the day's topics.

As in the discussions, exercise your critical-reading skills when writing these responses; that is, don't just read the fiction for pleasure and don't just accept everything
that scholars have written about them as canon. I want to hear how you synthesize
new ideas from the assigned readings, your outside readings, and your own experiences.

Regarding format, many people use bullets for various discussion points, bold the
reading titles, or use the titles as headings.
Some people write responses that resemble essays, citing the works in tandem, while others
simply respond to each work individually.
However you prefer to handle it is fine, but what's most important is that you've thought through all the
readings for each day and their relationship
to one another as well as to SF's evolution.

Tip: Include at least a couple of questions to pose to the class or points to
stimulate discussion, even if you are not leading the day's discussion. I suggest printing out
your paper - especially your questions - or otherwise bringing them to
class (say, on a tablet computer) to help formulate ideas during discussion. Also be sure to turn them in via
Blackboard in advance
of class. They
are usually returned to you via
Blackboard, scored, in
a reasonable time.

Graduate students: As you might imagine, I expect more from
your papers. They should reflect your mastery of the form as well as provide
insights worthy of your added experience and education. Additionally, for each topic, please find, read, and respond to an
additional work that matches
the week's themes, authors, or so forth; include your response to this work as part of your regular
response paper. If you found it online, provide a link in your response paper. Otherwise, include
bibliographic information. Insightfulness and clarity are important. think about this: If you were teaching this course,
what additional short-nonfiction readings might you add to the day's readings to aid the students? What book(s) might
you add to the pairings - or what books might you use to replace one or both of the assigned readings? Keep in mind that they aren't necessarily the best-ever works but the most representative and influential.

Daily Paper Scoring

Here is how I score the daily papers, based on 0-4 points each:
0 - no paper.
1 - paper turned in, but does not convince me that you
did all of the reading.
2 - paper convinces me that you did some of the
reading.
3 - paper either has interesting insights on most of the readings or convinces
me that you did all of the reading.
4 - paper convinces that you did all the reading and provides interesting
insights.

Missing response papers are due ASAP, at the very latest by the day after the
Final is due (at a reduced
score).

Late
papers lose 1 point if turned in after class sessions or by the end of our
meeting schedule; after that, they might lose more. Turn
them in on time!

Final Project

The final project can be either a traditional essay,
a set of teaching materials, or a creative work. Your project
explores a topic in science fiction, preferably
something not listed in the syllabus or discussed in class - though you may pursue
those if you select an angle we didn't already cover or discuss. Projects must be
at least 2000 words for undergraduates, 3000 words for
graduate students, with a max of 7500 words for undergraduates
or 10,000 words for graduates. Non-text-based projects must
clearly demonstrate a similar level of effort.

You must include an alphabetized bibliography with a traditional paper or
lesson plan, or an annotated bibliography at the end of your document if it is a creative work. An annotated bibliography is a set of references that
provide a summary of your readings and research, to give me an idea of where you
got your inspiration, scientific or technical resources, and so forth.
List your sources alphabetically and include a brief summary or annotation
for each work that you quote in the paper or that you use as a reference
(or inspiration). Format your bibliography as
appropriate for your field of study (MLA
for much of the Humanities,
Chicago for most other fields, and so forth;
here's
a good list of style guides). Turn in this project via
Blackboard.

Option A: Traditional Paper

Formal papers are graded on the quality and diversity of research (both
fictional and non-fictional), the writing (including grammar and spelling), and
the strength of the topic and argument. What I most want is for you to
demonstrate what you've learned from the course readings, your outside readings,
and in-class discussions, and how you express this synthesis: Demonstrate your
understanding of science fiction and the development of the SF novel.

This is not something that
you can successfully complete at the last minute. The research paper represents a semester-long investigation of topics that interest you. If you wish
to use works from the assigned readings that we discussed in class, I expect
you to have something new to say that we didn't already discuss.

Option B: Course Outline, Lesson Plan, or Study Guide

Participants who choose this option are often teachers and those pursuing
that profession. Choose from these three options or provide another option that
fits your pedagogical approach:

Course outline: Design a course in science fiction. This can cover any
aspect of SF or serve as an introduction to the field. Successful course
outlines I've seen before include "Feminist Science Fiction," "Utopian
Science Fiction," and others targeted at college undergraduate students; and
courses such as
"Science Fiction: An Introduction," targeted at junior-high schoolers.
You can pick any age group you wish, just be sure to specify that when you
turn it in. I understand that a complete course plan is a major project, so
this can be relatively high-level. Required elements include pedagogy (why
teach these materials and how), reading list, and syllabus. If
you wish to write a formal, complete course plan, that's great! But it
needn't exceed the required word-count.

Lesson plan: Design in detail a single lesson plan for a
series of short pieces or a book. This includes the part that students see
(from a larger syllabus), plus your teaching notes (lecture comments,
questions for student discussion, and so on), and writing prompts.

Study guide: This is a detailed examination of a single
long work or group of short pieces on a single topic. It usually covers
plot, character, ideas, themes, setting, and so forth, and often ends with
self-study questions. The audience for this ranges from students working
independently to teachers looking to develop a lesson plan.

All of these options make wonderful additions to
AboutSF.com! I encourage
you to share this project with other teachers via this educational-outreach
program.

Option C: Creative Work

A creative work (story, series of poems, play, short film, collection of
artworks, website, creative nonfiction,
and so forth)
must dramatize how the ideas and themes posed in your work could affect believable, interesting
characters living in a convincing, fully realized world in addition to
revealing substantial understanding of the science fiction genre. For the purposes of this course, your annotated bibliography
(normally not included in creative work) is particularly important if you
pursue this option, because I want to see the diversity of readings that helped you
develop your work (both
fictional and non-fictional).
Show me your research with a good annotated bibliography, demonstrate your
understanding of science fiction, and make your
creative work stand on its own.

To be crystal-clear in defining how your
creative work displays your understanding of SF, its history, and your response
to it, please also include an
"artist's statement," as it
very much helps me in evaluating creative work. Write this either as an appendix
to your document (but don't count this toward your word-count).

Be aware that this option is more challenging
- especially if you haven't taken creative-writing courses - because I expect the
same level of research as in the other options plus a good story or other
creative expression.
Click
here for some useful creative-writing resources.

Final Project Deadline

Your final project is due
by Thursday, July 10, by 5:00pm. The completed project is due via
Blackboard. If you've
created a website, posted a short film to the internet, or otherwise cannot
upload the project directly, just provide a link (website URL) to where I can
find the project online in
the Submission section of the appropriate Blackboard Final
Project assignment slot.

Grading

Your course grade is based upon these factors:

Class participation = 1/3 of grade. Includes attendance, participation in
each day's discussion, and leading at least one discussion with partner(s). Missing three
(3) days drops your final grade by one full letter grade; each day missed
drops a full grade to a minus grade.

Daily
response papers = 1/3 of grade

Final research paper = 1/3 of grade

Graduate students: I have
additional expectations for you - see my comments directed to you throughout
this document!

More Good Stuff

If you're interested in getting more science fiction in your life, you can find upcoming
regional SFnal events on the
CSSF News page.

Benjamin Cartwright, former Volunteer Coordinator of the Center's
AboutSF outreach program,
created a wonderful podcast program. Check it out at
the
AboutSF.com main page or at
our Podomatic site!

To learn about more stuff, more quickly, you can also find events and lots of SF-related chat
with the
Lawrence Science Fiction Club! Info,
discussions, and (hopefully soon!) meeting times are regularly posted at
our
Facebook page. Know of something of interest to like-minded folks? Join and
drop a note there!

* "'History of Science Fiction'
is a graphic chronology that maps the literary genre from its nascent roots in mythology
and fantastic stories to the somewhat calcified post-Star Wars space opera epics of today. The movement of years is from
left to right, tracing the figure of a tentacled beast, derived from H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds Martians. Science Fiction
is seen as the offspring of the collision of the Enlightenment (providing science) and Romanticism, which birthed gothic fiction,
source of not only SF, but crime novels, horror, westerns, and fantasy (all of which can be seen exiting through wormholes
to their own diagrams, elsewhere). Science fiction progressed through a number of distinct periods, which are charted, citing
hundreds of the most important works and authors. Film and television are covered as well."